Cairo: Saudi Arabia’s official gazette, Umm Al Qura, a credible reference of official announcements and milestone events in the kingdom, will this week celebrate its centenary based on the Islamic Hejira calendar.
Launched in the era of the kingdom’s modern founder King Abdulaziz, the first issue of Umm Al Qura came out in the Islamic lunar month of Jumada Al Awwal 1343, corresponding to December 1924.
The publication has since established itself firmly among the Saudi media, carrying official announcements, including royal and government decrees. It also featured such historic events as the establishment of Saudi Arabia in 1932, discovery of oil in the kingdom six years later and Abdulaziz's death in 1953.
The Mecca-based gazette has undergone major development in formats from appearing in yellow sheets of paper, then in white before shifting to a colour edition, reflecting massive transformations in the kingdom over the past decades.
To mark the occasion, a ceremony will be given on Wednesday under the auspices of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and attended by Mecca Governor Prince Khalid Al Faisal.
